Mourning Together

We are a people who treasure life, surrounded by those who revere death.

The grief is intense. It is a tragedy beyond words. The news of the death of the three kidnapped youngsters turned the Israeli nation to weeping and brought caring people around the world to communal mourning.

For 18 days heartfelt prayers for their safety ascended to the heavens. Tears were shed, Torah was studied, candles were lit, Shabbat was begun earlier, mitzvot were added, masses of concerned individuals attended rallies of support. All, it seems now, to no avail.

The lives of three innocent holy young boys trying to come home from their yeshiva to their family for Shabbat were brutally murdered. And all of us try to come to terms with a horrible event that leaves us devastated and, from a theological perspective, profoundly perplexed.

How could this have happened?

There are no sufficient answers. Our faith must overpower our confusion. Our belief must be stronger than our questions. As the Jewish philosopher Ibn Pakuda put it long ago, “If we could understand God, we would be God.”

It is not a time for simplistic responses, nor is it a time for foolish assertions that this tragedy must of course be punishment for some collective failing that in no way can have any logical bearing on these innocent victims.

Jewish law goes a step further. We are not permitted even to offer consolation in the presence of the deceased. We need to respect the time when pain is too intense to even listen to crumbs of comfort. Let that come later. Perhaps then we might be able to discover some peace in the knowledge that as martyrs these youngsters have earned everlasting reward in the world to come.

For now I can think of only one reasonable response. Instead of blaming God for His unwillingness to accede to our prayers we need to acknowledge the sinfulness of those whose perverted reaction to evil made this tragedy possible.

Perverse Symmetry

In what must surely rank as one of the most bizarre coincidences of newspaper headline timing, on the very day the bodies of the three teenagers would subsequently be discovered, the New York Times gave front-page treatment to their kidnapping. For two weeks prior I wondered when this self-defined newspaper of record would give proper coverage to the horrifying story of the kidnapping. At last the Times decided the time had come. Not mind you as an anguished expression of sympathy for the victims of an unjustifiable crime against humanity but rather as a belated effort to place this story in the context of the contemporary holy Grail of “evenhanded and balanced journalism.”

There were two pictures side-by-side. The caption underneath them said simply: “Aida Abdel Aziz Dudeen mourning her son Mohammed, killed by Israeli soldiers. Right, Rachel Frankel, whose son is missing.”

At last the Times was able to do what has become standard practice in all of its coverage of Palestinian terrorism and violent attacks against Jews. Always look for “balance” to create a story that seems to consist only of “victims on both sides” in a liberal fantasy of political correctness and moral relativism that refuses to ever label evil by its true name.

Two mothers wept. One for a missing child whose fate was still unknown but guilty of nothing more than a desire to come home from school for Shabbat. The other for the son who disobeyed her orders and joined a horde of youths hurling stones at Israeli soldiers attempting to find the kidnapped children.

For the Times not to perceive the profound difference between them beggars belief. There’s only one response that is appropriate for the attempt to create this ludicrous symmetry. It is the famous words of Joseph Welch at the McCarthy hearings in 1954 when, in utter disgust and dismay at the Senator’s distortions, cried out, “You’ve done enough. Have you no sense of decency, sir? At long last, have you left no sense of decency?”

The Death of Klinghoffer

Just a few weeks ago we saw a perfect illustration of this perverse view in a different context. The Metropolitan Opera scheduled a production of The Death of Klinghoffer for next season. Klinghoffer, you will remember, was a wheelchair-bound Jewish- American passenger on a cruise ship hijacked by the PLO. The hijackers shot him in the forehead and chest and then forced the ship’s crew to throw him and his wheelchair overboard. If you find it hard to believe that this is a suitable narrative for an opera, be assured that John Adams who wrote the music and Alice Goodman who penned the English language libretto believe its theme requires the rapt attention of everyone interested in contemporary events. As the Times explained it when in a lead editorial it condemned the Met for giving in to the complaint of critics who labeled the play anti-Semitic and canceled its simultaneous worldwide televised simulcast, the play is important for “allowing us to see both sides of the issue and to understand the perspective of the hijackers.”

You see, for the New York Times, thugs who murder a cripple in his wheelchair also have a point of view. Who are we to say that their act of violence, committed out of desperation and with complete conviction for their cause, doesn’t deserve our understanding? As for Lisa Klinghoffer and Ilsa Klinghoffer, the daughters of Leon and Marilyn Klinghoffer, who anonymously attended the world premiere of the opera in New York City, the matter seems to be far less morally ambivalent. The Klinghoffer family released the following statement about the opera: "We are outraged at the exploitation of our parents and the coldblooded murder of our father as the centerpiece of a production that appears to us to be anti-Semitic.”

Evil doesn’t need to be understood as much as it needs to be condemned.

Somehow the Times can’t understand the simple truth that evil doesn’t need to be understood as much as it needs to be condemned.

So with its “Klinghoffer mentality” the Times set to work putting the kidnapping story into the kind of perspective that wouldn’t allow pity for three Jewish families weeping for their children.

Read the following sentence at the outset of the story and ask yourself if the editors haven’t lost any claim to decency or to civilized dialogue: “More than two weeks after the abduction of Naftali and two other Israeli teenagers, Israel’s security crackdown has raised questions about the asymmetry of the Israeli – Palestinian conflict and the value of lives on both sides.”

Now read that sentence today, knowing that the young boys returning from yeshiva were murdered – while the young children of Palestinians were given sweets to celebrate the joyous tidings of their capture and taught to turn the agony of the three Israeli families into a jubilant three fingered salute.

Yes, this is an ideal time to reflect upon the difference between the value Israelis and Arabs place upon life. While the head of Hamas “blessed the hands of the heroic kidnappers,” Israeli surgeons used their hands to heal the wife of the Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas secretly ensconced in a Tel Aviv hospital.

We are a people who treasure life. We are surrounded by those who revere death and rejoice in killing. That is why the moralizing of the New York Times and the liberal media is so appalling to us. That is why our pain is so intense that this time.

And that is why we must find the courage and the faith to direct our anger not against God but against those whose unwillingness to denounce evil is the key to our present suffering.

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About the Author

Rabbi Benjamin Blech, a frequent contributor to Aish, is a Professor of Talmud at Yeshiva University and an internationally recognized educator, religious leader, and lecturer. Author of 14 highly acclaimed books with combined sales of over a half million copies, his newest, The World From A Spiritual Perspective, is a collection of over 100 of his best Aish articles. See his website at www.benjaminblech.com.

Visitor Comments: 29

(24)
Mira Nakash,
July 7, 2014 12:34 PM

NY TIMES ARTICLE:Arab boy's death escalates clash over abductions, July 3, 2014

Your article 'Mourning Together' hit home.On July 3 the NY Times continued in the 'sinfulness of its perverted reaction to evil,' in the headline and photo caption:Arab boy's death escalates clash over abductions, July 3, 2014

The headline photo of Thursday July 3, 2014 made me sick.Not denying the mother's grief, or the tragedy of the arab boy, but such a biased photo and article was unconscionable.The New York Times is guilty itself of 'further poisoning relations between Israelis and Palestinians,' and abetting 'international outrage' when their coverage is so skewed. Before an investigation into how the boy was killed was completed,the headline news was inflammatory. The 'international community' and the New York times in particular should be rebuked for their lack of outrage, let alone lack of interest or compassion at the senseless murder of 3 young boys, one of whom was an American citizen.

(23)
Liba,
July 3, 2014 6:23 PM

Jews in exile

This is exile. Until Mashiach arrives (May he come speedily in our days) we live in a crazy messed up society where evil is heroic and good is viewed as weak. May the three kedoshim, who are surely in Gan Eden, be advocates for us on Earth and continue to inspire us to pray for an end to this long galut.

(22)
Yehudith Shraga,
July 3, 2014 2:30 AM

We love the Life, because we constantly make it worth to be Loved

Let's put NY Times aside till Yom Kippur and look at the reason some people wish to die: they have lost a perspective for their life.

If we look to the Arabic population of Israel from this point of view we'll get the following picture:those Arabs, who have a good education and LEARNED that THEY are responsible for the level of their life,feel absolutely lucky to be born in Israel and have an opportunity to live in our country.They love the life no less than any Jew, but those who still look to find the way to live at the expense of others are very unhappy,though telling the truth "I do not want to work, but I do want to enjoy this life" is too unbearable for their ego, and so they are looking for the ways to justify their low desires. And What a Wonderworking and Heartbreaking opportunity they have found!-They are not working, because they're fighting for the independence of their people! But what these 'fighters' really may give those people whose lives they have made unbearable so, that they are ready to die, to stop this nightmare called "fighting for the independence"! The saddest point is that they even don't know that the real independence comes with the high education and a very hard work in the favor of the prosperity of the nation!They don't know it, because from the childhood they are taught that all their problems come from Jews, and their time and efforts at school are spent for propaganda instead of proper education, they are made sick with life and no matter how hard we try to help those sick, all the time the reason for their sickness is there, they will wish to die.

The way to the real independence for the Arab population is through their unity with us, which would let them receive the right to share all the benefits of the State built of the principles of G-d's Wisdom. All the time they are made to believe otherwise, there is no way to help them, as well as there is no perspective for their lives.

(21)
Anonymous,
July 2, 2014 2:57 PM

Death of Kolinghoffer

Rabbi,read the libretto to the "Death of klinghoffer"it not about equating Jews and Palestinians. NO, it is about us humans spinning on this cinder we call plant earth and looking at one another and seeing really seeing that thoughts have consequences.

we are not separate beings. We humans are all connected and those everyday connections are what WE CALL LIFE.

There isn't a Jewish world and everyone else. there is one world and we lall ive in it. John Adams and Ms. Goodman tried to show that.

See the opera don't dismiss this important spiritual work.Thank you.

Janice kenner,
July 3, 2014 12:01 AM

Decency vs Evil

I have no desire to see the opera Klinghoffer. I'll accept his daughters' opinion that it is antisemitic. I hope the Met goes under for showing it. I will no longer contribute to it. We humans are not " all connected" I have no desire to be connected to Hamas. Do you? Really? The word in Hebrew translates as "violence". I wonder if it is the same in Arabic. In the meantime three innocent boys are dead. I have no desire to "understand" the evil people who did this.

Tomas (Noahide),
July 3, 2014 5:55 PM

my comment

Rabbi Blech is perhaps my most appreciated poster on AISH and this article is no exception. What I personally find even more shocking than the triple murder itself is the perverse "understanding" that a large part of the Western world seems to show for the murderers and for Palestinian terorists in general (and here I very much share the perspective of Janice). This, I would say, touches upon a broader issue and that is that, for some reason I cannot comprehend, the Western civilisation as a whole has moved towards sympathising with all kinds of evildoers, rather than their victims or those who make efforts to bring evildoers to justice.

(20)
Anonymous,
July 2, 2014 1:49 PM

When a nation cries out to G-d

Something has happened in the souls of Jewish people worldwide. An awakening of sorts that has not been seen in a long, long time. While the rest of the world has been distracted with the World Cup, Jews and Israelis have been in prayer and now mourning. I believe the Almighty is going to answer in an unprecedented way. I don't know how, but I do know He will answer and it will be very soon.

(19)
Anonymous,
July 2, 2014 4:00 AM

unecessary sad news

I am sickened by this horrendous act . These three beautiful lives had so much to look forward to. May those who did this never find peace in their heart and live through the hell they so deserve.Barbarians...

(18)
Anonymous,
July 1, 2014 11:28 PM

Met & NYT in decline

The Met has unsustainable labor costs that threaten its financial viability, so they may just get their just desserts. The NYT has had declining readership for years. Everyone knows it's a far left wing organ of the Democrat party. Both organizations are a disgrace. I urge everyone to read Psalm 79 and 94 in memory of our martyred young men. Personally, beyond the grief for the boys and their families, every fiber of my being cries out for Hashem and Israel to avenge their spilled blood and make our enemies pay a terrible price for this wicked deed. Hamas's Sami Abu Zuhri has vowed to open the Gates of Hell. With all of my heart, I pray that we will send him there.

(17)
Sarah C.,
July 1, 2014 10:38 PM

So sorry

for your loss, Rabbi, and those of the boys' families and all our Jewish family. Words fail to express . May God's shalom touch all in this time of grief at the senseless tragedy.

(16)
Anonymous,
July 1, 2014 7:56 PM

The NY Times belonges and is managed by a certain

type of Jews. This sort of people were always against

the other Jews all over our long history.

(15)
Helen Borenstein,
July 1, 2014 6:46 PM

No Words....

It is truly unfortunate, that it took a tragedy as this one to bring out the unity in the Jewish people. Why can we not act this way always? Together, one for the other, without the fractious fighting, gossiping, mistrust. Truly G-d is trying to send us a message. Wake Up Jews!! This is how you should always behave as an 'am echad, b'laiv echad" one nation, and one heart. Alas, with the passage of time , things will return. And while the above writer wrote so many true things about how we should treat each other, that does not preclude punishing the murderers to the fullest extent. They, the murderers do not understand kindness; as they perceive it as weakness. They only understand strength, and Israel has to show them, that they have nudged the wrong lion. With the help of G-d "he nei lo yanum v lo yishon Shomer Yisroel. G-d will not slumber nor sleep and will watch over Israel.

(14)
Anonymous,
July 1, 2014 5:51 PM

Painful loss

Overwhelmed with pain about the young men. I am sorry for our loss.

A Believer...

(13)
Aviel,
July 1, 2014 5:11 PM

Is it news that The Times ,Met Opera board and others are sympathetic towards those whose goal is the dismantling of the Jewish State

What is the new insight here?The NY Times,Met Opera Co and many others see the Palestinians as fighting for a just cause with the weapons at their disposal.They lack an army or air force, so utilize only guerrilla warfare which Israel calls murder or terror, but acts otherwise by releasing those same people when captured as prisoners just as any country would release/trade POWS . If subsequently that is how most of the world views them it should not be a surprise. Why is that so hard for folks to see? It seems to me Israel has to wipe out all those who pose a real and present threat.There are Arabs who will live peacefully as loyal citizens or residents in a Jewish State, as per the courageous boy profiled recently via video at Aish.com. The others need to be dealt with harshly, as the alternative is for Jews to expect more of the same. While it seems to me their position is disgusting the NY Times and the MET Opera have a right to those opinions.People can support any cause they want with words and plays, but it seems to me the real tragedy would be if the gov't of Israel does not react in the strongest military manner possible against those acting to destroy the Jewish State .May the blood of Gilad,Naftali and Eyal be avenged speedily .

Sarah C.,
July 1, 2014 10:41 PM

Amen.

(12)
MiriamC,
July 1, 2014 4:39 PM

May we soon see the geulah!

Thank you for such a beautifully written article. We must remember that we are in Galus and we must always continue to work on ourselves. What a special zechus these 3 karbanos had that Klal Yisrael bettered themselves in their time of need how we stormed the shaarei shomayim for them and inevitably ourselves. May we see the geulah sheleimah very soon, may their neshamos have an Aliyah and may their families and the entire Klal have a Nechama from this tragedy. HY"D!

(11)
Brian and Anne Nelson,
July 1, 2014 3:05 PM

Tears from South Africa

My husband, Brian and I (Anne) are privileged to pray for Israel and The Jewish People for more than 20 years.

As HaShem weeps and Heaven cries over the tragic and murderous deaths of 3 of its sons, may we too mourn and cry out to HaShem for His intervention and expunging this vile and evil spirit from His Land and His Precious People, The Jewish People.

Thank you Rabbi Blecher. You have said what most of us are thinking. You said it without anger but with strength.

(8)
Rob Porter,
July 1, 2014 2:34 PM

Grief - and anger

I am South African, gentile and Christian and share the grief of Israelis. It difficult to know what to say about this terrible tragedy, but I will say that once the army began it's search I feared the abductors would resort to this barbarity.

I have no hesitation in saying that I hope Israel will exact terrible punishment on the barbarians who perpetrated this savagery.

(7)
Anonymous,
July 1, 2014 2:26 PM

Having lost my son in tragic circumstances my heart goes out to the parents that they may find strenght to get through this awful time.there is no excuse for this atrocious act and may the perportratore be punished on this earth and in the eternal life to come along with all who find justification for it.

(6)
Ilene Richman,
July 1, 2014 2:26 PM

MY HEART CRIES FOR YOUR PAIN

I know how hard it is to loose a child. I am trying to console you but there are no words to express my consolation. We will always remember these three beautiful young men and keep them in our hearts.

(5)
Janice,
July 1, 2014 2:23 PM

This morning the NYT continued its attempt to cast this unpeakable tragedy as a political event (heavy emphasis on Israel out for revenge). In a stupifyingly inadequate and insensitive play for "balance" they commented on Rachel Fraenkel's mourning clothes ("already wearing black") and mentioned that Israeli radio stations "played sad songs." (What powerful, history-laden depth of sorrow is contained in what is dismissed as "sad songs"!).

Thank you, Rabbi Blech for this moving commentary.

(4)
Hwag,
July 1, 2014 2:22 PM

Horrible act

Rabbi:

Did you really need to politicize such a horrible barbaric act? How does that help anyone or anything? What is your point the so called Liberal press or the horrendous killing of 3 Yeshiva boys?

As for the NY Times; when the stroy broke here is the lead -http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/14/world/middleeast/3-israeli-teenagers-said-to-be-kidnapped-in-west-bank.html?_r=0

read it. How is this a deplorable, immoral story?help me to understand?

Alan S.,
July 1, 2014 11:49 PM

Please re-read Rabbi Blech's article.

How you can question the very excellent article that Rabbi Blech wrote shows an improper reading of the article. I read the same article as you, and I can definitely say that Rabbi Blech did not politicize this horror. He spoke only about the insanity of the New York Times coverage. I read your link. This is not the story that Rabbi Blech refers.

(3)
betty,
July 1, 2014 2:00 PM

What does one say to parents who have lost a child !! Nothing really, except that our hearts and prayers are with you as you mourn the loss of your sons, now OUR SONS !! We all mourn the loss of these innocent lives, snatched in their prime. No, Israel will not let this go without action .We have all lost sons and together we will survive, whatever it takes. May God grant you strength.

(2)
Herman Kuun,
July 1, 2014 1:49 PM

The difference between Judaism and Islam: "We are a people who treasure life. We are surrounded by those who revere death and rejoice in killing. "

(1)
aryeh markman,
July 1, 2014 8:25 AM

What can we do?

We can mourn with them and raise the souls of these innocent boys. For the next month the families won’t listen to music nor will they attend festive social gatherings to name just a few of the restrictions. For one month, every day, do something spiritual to elevate the souls of Gilad, Naftali and Eyal. You can:•Study from a Torah source (a book) for (an extra) five minutes a day.•Give (more) charity every day.•Give a compliment where you wanted to give an insult –daily.•Reach out and do someone a favor without them knowing – daily.•Call your spouse extra and tell them you love them –daily.•Hug your children when you really felt like yelling at them –daily.•Men: put on tefillin - daily - except for Shabbos.•Women: Light Shabbos candles every week and/or start making Challah for Shabbos.•Pray a little every day. And if you already do, add an extra prayer for the boys’ souls. •Begin some sort of a Kindness project in their name.•Hold your temper when you thought you were going to lose it. Hopefully not daily.•You get the idea.

Jews don’t get even, Jews get better. Yes, justice and deterrence must prevail, but we must also merit more of God’s kindness by creating spiritual acts where there were none. May Their Souls Be Bound in the Eternal Bonds of Life

Maz,
July 1, 2014 5:39 PM

Very profound

Rabbi Markman--Thank you very much for your very profound comment on response to senseless slaughter. That still begs the question: how do we deal with people who revere death and rejoice in the senseless killing of Jews everywhere? Do we now apply the biblical proscription of "an eye for an eye"?

I'm told that it's a mitzvah to become intoxicated on Purim. This puzzles me, because to my understanding, it is not considered a good thing to become intoxicated, period.

One of the characteristics of the at-risk youth is their use of drugs, including alcohol. In my experience, getting drunk doesn't reveal secrets. It makes people act stupid and irresponsible, doing things they would never do if they were sober. Also, I know a lot about the horrible health effects of abusing alcohol, because I work at a research center that focuses on addiction and substance abuse.

Also, I am an alcoholic, which means that if I drink, very bad things happen. I have not had a drink in 22 years, and I have no intention of starting now. Surely there must be instances where a person is excused from the obligation to drink. I don't see how Judaism could ever promote the idea of getting drunk. It just doesn't seem right.

The Aish Rabbi Replies:

Putting aside for a moment all the spiritual and philosophical reasons for getting drunk on Purim, this remains an issue of common sense. Of course, teenagers should be warned of the dangers of acute alcohol ingestion. Of course, nobody should drink and drive. Of course, nobody should become so drunk to the point of negligence in performing mitzvot. And of course, a recovering alcoholic should not partake of alcohol on Purim.

Indeed, the Code of Jewish Law explicitly says that if one suspects the drinking may affect him negatively, then he should NOT drink.

Getting drunk on Purim is actually one of the most difficult mitzvot to do correctly. A person should only drink if it will lead to positive spiritual results - e.g. under the loosening affect of the alcohol, greater awareness will surface of the love for God and Torah found deep in the heart. (Perhaps if we were on a higher spiritual level, we wouldn't need to get drunk!)

Yet the Talmud still speaks of an obligation on Purim of "not knowing the difference between Blessed is Mordechai and Cursed is Haman." How then should a person who doesn't drink get the point of “not knowing”? Simple - just go to sleep! (Rama - OC 695:2)

All this applies to individuals. But the question remains - does drinking on Purim adversely affect the collective social health of the Jewish community?

The aversion to alcoholism is engrained into Jewish consciousness from a number of Biblical and Talmudic sources. There are the rebuking words of prophets - Isaiah 28:1, Hosea 3:1 with Rashi, and Amos 6:6, and the Zohar says that "The wicked stray after wine" (Midrash Ne'alam Parshat Vayera).

It is well known that the rate of alcoholism among Jews has historically been very low. Numerous medical, psychological and sociological studies have confirmed this. The connection between Judaism and sobriety is so evident, that the following conversation is reported by Lawrence Kelemen in "Permission to Receive":

When Dr. Mark Keller, editor of the Quarterly Journal of Studies on Alcohol, commented that "practically all Jews do drink, and yet all the world knows that Jews hardly ever become alcoholics," his colleague, Dr. Howard Haggard, director of Yale's Laboratory of Applied Physiology, jokingly proposed converting alcoholics to the Jewish religion in order to immerse them in a culture with healthy attitudes toward drinking!

Perhaps we could suggest that it is precisely because of the use of alcohol in traditional ceremonies (Kiddush, Bris, Purim, etc.), that Jews experience such low rates of alcoholism. This ceremonial usage may actually act like an inoculation - i.e. injecting a safe amount that keeps the disease away.

Of course, as we said earlier, all this needs to be monitored with good common sense. Yet in my personal experience - having been in the company of Torah scholars who were totally drunk on Purim - they acted with extreme gentleness and joy. Amid the Jewish songs and beautiful words of Torah, every year the event is, for me, very special.

Adar 12 marks the dedication of Herod's renovations on the second Holy Temple in Jerusalem in 11 BCE. Herod was king of Judea in the first century BCE who constructed grand projects like the fortresses at Masada and Herodium, the city of Caesarea, and fortifications around the old city of Jerusalem. The most ambitious of Herod's projects was the re-building of the Temple, which was in disrepair after standing over 300 years. Herod's renovations included a huge man-made platform that remains today the largest man-made platform in the world. It took 10,000 men 10 years just to build the retaining walls around the Temple Mount; the Western Wall that we know today is part of that retaining wall. The Temple itself was a phenomenal site, covered in gold and marble. As the Talmud says, "He who has not seen Herod's building, has never in his life seen a truly grand building."

Some people gauge the value of themselves by what they own. But in reality, the entire concept of ownership of possessions is based on an illusion. When you obtain a material object, it does not become part of you. Ownership is merely your right to use specific objects whenever you wish.

How unfortunate is the person who has an ambition to cleave to something impossible to cleave to! Such a person will not obtain what he desires and will experience suffering.

Fortunate is the person whose ambition it is to acquire personal growth that is independent of external factors. Such a person will lead a happy and rewarding life.

With exercising patience you could have saved yourself 400 zuzim (Berachos 20a).

This Talmudic proverb arose from a case where someone was fined 400 zuzim because he acted in undue haste and insulted some one.

I was once pulling into a parking lot. Since I was a bit late for an important appointment, I was terribly annoyed that the lead car in the procession was creeping at a snail's pace. The driver immediately in front of me was showing his impatience by sounding his horn. In my aggravation, I wanted to join him, but I saw no real purpose in adding to the cacophony.

When the lead driver finally pulled into a parking space, I saw a wheelchair symbol on his rear license plate. He was handicapped and was obviously in need of the nearest parking space. I felt bad that I had harbored such hostile feelings about him, but was gratified that I had not sounded my horn, because then I would really have felt guilty for my lack of consideration.

This incident has helped me to delay my reactions to other frustrating situations until I have more time to evaluate all the circumstances. My motives do not stem from lofty principles, but from my desire to avoid having to feel guilt and remorse for having been foolish or inconsiderate.

Today I shall...

try to withhold impulsive reaction, bearing in mind that a hasty act performed without full knowledge of all the circumstances may cause me much distress.

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